Across the country, the signs of spring are slowly starting to show up. This week I came across some fresh asparagus in the grocery store and though it may not be local, it will certainly help hold me over until the local asparagus arrives.

I have been experimenting with pesto grilled cheese sandwiches for a while now and when I saw the asparagus I was reminded of the asparagus pesto that I made last year and I thought that an asparagus pesto grilled cheese sandwich would be the perfect way to welcome in the first of this year’s asparagus.

The asparagus pesto is pretty tasty all by itself but when you smother it in melted cheese and wrap it in crisp buttery bread it is truly something amazing! With the strong flavor of in the pesto, I was going to need a cheese that could stand on its own two feet and I figured that a Wisconsin Gruyère would go perfectly with the sweet and juicy asparagus.

One problem with pesto grilled cheese sandwiches is that pesto generally has a lot of moisture so I like to use bread that is a day or two old and I like to lightly toast it first. This way the bread will be able to withstand the extra moisture better. Even with the pre-toasting, this is a pretty messy sandwich but, if a sandwich isn’t messy, is it really worth eating?

Asparagus Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Heat a pan over a-little-below-medium heat. Butter one side of each piece of bread.

Place one slice, butter side down, in the pan, top with the cheese, pesto and the remaining slice of bread, butter side up. Grill until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown on both sides, about 2-4 minutes per side.

I don’t usually comment on a food blog unless I have tried the recipe. This one however forces me to break my rule: It is a great recipe and I will try it post-haste! Unfortunately as I don’t see a print option, I will cut and paste. No problem. Thanks.

[...] asparagus gives this grilled cheese a green twist and make it the perfect sandwich for spring. This recipe calls for the sandwich to be served on whole-grain bread and prepared with Gruyere [...]